Horse Riding and Rugby?

Horse Riding and Rugby had something in common Friday night. We volunteered with the Rotary Club of Hutt City to work at a Westpac Stadium concession stand, with all proceeds going to the Hutt Valley Riding for the Disabled (RDA) site. The Rotary supports this organization through events like staffing concessions at the Rugby games and its annual Shapeshifter sculpture exhibit (more to come about this). Angie had just visited the RDA riding site in the Hutt Valley this past week. Her interest was peaked because the Hennepin County Home School in MN has a ‘We Can Ride” therapeutic horse riding program that does similar work.

The Hurricanes made the local fans happy that night by blowing over the Chiefs (how’s that for sports/weather metaphors?) at the Rugby game. Though the game was quite different than we’re used to, sports stadiums appear the same everywhere with vast seating, corporate naming and box suites all around the top. The location is pretty spectacular right between the harbor and the train station that services most of the area that the Hurricanes represent.

It wasn’t a sell out crowd so we could break away from schlepping drinks to watch our first professional rugby game. U.S. football looks pretty tame comparatively. They hit and tackle just as hard in rugby, but don’t wear any pads. Like ice hockey, there are special rules if a player is bleeding. And a touchdown is called a “try”…. Hmm. Anyway, after the final horn, the game ended with a drop kick through the uprights, which we’re told doesn’t happen often. Nice try… I mean goal.